Soliton form factors from lattice simulations

The form factor provides a convenient way to describe properties of topological solitons in the full quantum theory, when semiclassical concepts are not applicable. It is demonstrated that the form factor can be calculated numerically using lattice Monte Carlo simulations. The approach is very general and can be applied to essentially any type of soliton. The technique is illustrated by calculating the kink form factor near the critical point in 1+1-dimensional scalar field theory. As expected from universality arguments, the result agrees with the exactly calculable scaling form factor of the two-dimensional Ising model.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; v2: discussion extended, references added, version accepted for publication in PR

Spatial distribution of Cherenkov radiation in periodic dielectric media

The nontrivial dispersion relation of a periodic medium affects both the spectral and the spatial distribution of Cherenkov radiation. We present a theory of the spatial distribution of Cherenkov radiation in the far-field zone inside arbitrary three- and two-dimensional dielectric media. Simple analytical expressions for the far-field are obtained in terms of the Bloch mode expansion. Numerical examples of the Cherenkov radiation in a two-dimensional photonic crystal is presented. The developed analytical theory demonstrates good agreement with numerically rigorous finite-difference time-domain calculations.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, Journal of Optics A (in press

Finite temperature Cherenkov radiation in the presence of a magnetodielectric medium

A canonical approach to Cherenkov radiation in the presence of a magnetodielectric medium is presented in classical, nonrelativistic and relativistic quantum regimes. The equations of motion for the canonical variables are solved explicitly for both positive and negative times. Maxwell and related constitute equations are obtained. In the large-time limit, the vector potential operator is found and expressed in terms of the medium operators. The energy loss of a charged particle, emitted in the form of radiation, in finite temperature is calculated. A Dirac equation concerning the relativistic motion of the particle in presence of the magnetodielectric medium is derived and the relativistic Cherenkov radiation at zero and finite temperature is investigated. Finally, it is shown that the Cherenkov radiation in nonrelativistic and relativistic quantum regimes, unlike its classical counterpart, introduces automatically a cutoff for higher frequencies beyond which the power of radiation emission is zero.Comment: To be appear in PR

Effect of Disorder on Ultrafast Exciton Dynamics Probed by Single Molecule Spectroscopy

We present a single-molecule study unraveling the effect of static disorder on the vibrational-assisted ultrafast exciton dynamics in multichromophoric systems. For every single complex, we probe the initial exciton relaxation process by an ultrafast pump-probe approach and the coupling to vibrational modes by emission spectra, while fluorescence lifetime analysis measures the amount of static disorder. Exploiting the wide range of disorder found from complex to complex, we demonstrate that static disorder accelerates the dephasing and energy relaxation rate of the exciton

Observation of Resonant Diffusive Radiation in Random Multilayered Systems

Diffusive Radiation is a new type of radiation predicted to occur in randomly inhomogeneous media due to the multiple scattering of pseudophotons. This theoretical effect is now observed experimentally. The radiation is generated by the passage of electrons of energy 200KeV-2.2MeV through a random stack of films in the visible light region. The radiation intensity increases resonantly provided the Cherenkov condition is satisfied for the average dielectric constant of the medium. The observed angular dependence and electron resonance energy are in agreement with the theoretical predictions. These observations open a road to application of diffusive radiation in particle detection, astrophysics, soft X-ray generation and etc.. `Comment: 4pages, 4figure

A Search for Isolated Radio Pulses from the Crab Nebula at 151.5 MHz

A search has been made for large bursts of radio emission at 151.5 MHz from the direction of the Crab Nebula. In 605 hr of observation, no events exceeding a flux of 1.4 × 10^(−22) W m^(−2) Hz^(−1) were detected. This therefore sets an upper limit for the energy in radio pulses from the direction of the Crab Nebula which might be associated with the events recorded in the gravitational wave experiments of Weber. Implications of the results with regard to ‘strong pulses’ and phase fluctuations in the periodic emissions from the pulsar NP 0532 are also examined

Four methods for determining the composition of trace radioactive surface contamination of low-radioactivity metal

Four methods for determining the composition of low-level uranium- and thorium-chain surface contamination are presented. One method is the observation of Cherenkov light production in water. In two additional methods a position-sensitive proportional counter surrounding the surface is used to make both a measurement of the energy spectrum of alpha particle emissions and also coincidence measurements to derive the thorium-chain content based on the presence of short-lived isotopes in that decay chain. The fourth method is a radiochemical technique in which the surface is eluted with a weak acid, the eluate is concentrated, added to liquid scintillator and assayed by recording beta-alpha coincidences. These methods were used to characterize two `hotspots' on the outer surface of one of the He-3 proportional counters in the Neutral Current Detection array of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory experiment. The methods have similar sensitivities, of order tens of ng, to both thorium- and uranium-chain contamination.Comment: 22 pages, 19 figure

Kids in the city study: research design and methodology

Background: Physical activity is essential for optimal physical and psychological health but substantial declines in children's activity levels have occurred in New Zealand and internationally. Children's independent mobility (i.e., outdoor play and traveling to destinations unsupervised), an integral component of physical activity in childhood, has also declined radically in recent decades. Safety-conscious parenting practices, car reliance and auto-centric urban design have converged to produce children living increasingly sedentary lives. This research investigates how urban neighborhood environments can support or enable or restrict children's independent mobility, thereby influencing physical activity accumulation and participation in daily life.Methods/Design: The study is located in six Auckland, New Zealand neighborhoods, diverse in terms of urban design attributes, particularly residential density. Participants comprise 160 children aged 9-11 years and their parents/caregivers. Objective measures (global positioning systems, accelerometers, geographical information systems, observational audits) assessed children's independent mobility and physical activity, neighborhood infrastructure, and streetscape attributes. Parent and child neighborhood perceptions and experiences were assessed using qualitative research methods.Discussion: This study is one of the first internationally to examine the association of specific urban design attributes with child independent mobility. Using robust, appropriate, and best practice objective measures, this study provides robust epidemiological information regarding the relationships between the built environment and health outcomes for this population

The MIDAS telescope for microwave detection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays

We present the design, implementation and data taking performance of the MIcrowave Detection of Air Showers (MIDAS) experiment, a large field of view imaging telescope designed to detect microwave radiation from extensive air showers induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This novel technique may bring a tenfold increase in detector duty cycle when compared to the standard fluorescence technique based on detection of ultraviolet photons. The MIDAS telescope consists of a 4.5 m diameter dish with a 53-pixel receiver camera, instrumented with feed horns operating in the commercial extended C-Band (3.4 -- 4.2 GHz). A self-trigger capability is implemented in the digital electronics. The main objectives of this first prototype of the MIDAS telescope - to validate the telescope design, and to demonstrate a large detector duty cycle - were successfully accomplished in a dedicated data taking run at the University of Chicago campus prior to installation at the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figure

Theory of Cherenkov radiation in periodic dielectric media: Emission spectrum

The Cherenkov radiation is substantially modified in the presence of a medium with a nontrivial dispersion relation. We consider Cherenkov emission spectra of a point charge moving in general three- (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals. Exact analytical expressions for the spectral distribution of the radiated power are obtained in terms of the Bloch mode expansion. The resulting expression reduces to a simple contour integral (3D case) or a one-dimensional sum (2D case) over a small fraction of the reciprocal space, which is defined by the generalized Cherenkov condition. We apply our method to a specific case of an electron moving with different velocities in a 2D square-lattice photonic crystal. Our method demonstrates an excellent agreement with numerically rigorous finite-difference time-domain calculations while being less demanding on computational resources.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev.